Cirkidz, formed in 1985 in Adelaide's west for disadvantaged youths, a talent harvest for new-circus troupes
Adelaide's Cirkidz performance troupe was regularly booked for iconic South Australian events.
Cirkidz, a youth circus school based in the inner-western Adelaide suburb of Bowden from 1985, became a talent harvest for the top new-circus troupes around Australia.
Cirkidz was founded by Tony Hannan and Michael Lester as a workshop to provide alternative opportunities for recreation for disadvantaged young people in Adelaide's industrial inner-western suburbs. An initial six-month project was so successful, it continued.
Many Cirkidz alumni went on to careers in the circus arts with Melbourne-based Circus Oz (itself formed in 1977 when Adelaide’s New Ensemble Circus, from 1973, joined with Australian Performing Group’s Soapbox Circus) and the National Institute of Circus Arts. Cirkidz graduates also formed their own companies such as Rambutan Circus Collective and Gravity and Other Myths).
Cirkidz continued to teach circus skills to children, young people, and adults through three core programmes: Circus school, performance troupe and community workshops.
Circus School classes were available to anyone aged from two and half to 18 years. Adults could also attend an adults-only class. In these classes, age-appropriate skills were run in a wide circus arts: juggling, unicycling, atilts, trapeze, hula, trampoline, pyramids, tissu, barrel walking, acrobatics, skipping, mini tramp, flowersticks, poi, acrobatics, cloud swing, teeterboard, clowning, cord, slapstick, table sliding, plate spinning, cigar boxes, globe, manipulation, slack wire, staff twirling, contact juggling, tumbling, hoop diving and fast track; plus movement, acting and performance.
Cirkidz performance troupe created high-quality artistic work in theatre and roving performances. It was regularly booked to perform at iconic South Australian events, including the Adelaide Fringe parade, the Christmas pageant and Tour Down Under. The troupe also produced annual productions for the general viewing public. In 2009, it performed Freaky, a sold-out production with Circus Monoxide as part of the Come Out youth arts festival.
The community workshop programme took the circus arts into schools, workplaces, health organisations, child care centres, or partners with events to provide circus experiences for disadvantageor isolated young people.
